Folk

folk

Bitcoin’s price started pumping, some altcoins caught a bid, US regulators said they’re reviewing spot bitcoin ETF applications, and next thing you know everybody's saying bitcoin’s in a bull market. Seems silly. If bitcoin’s price stays above $15,600, then it’s been in a bull market since November 2022. Where were the bulls a year ago? At that time, I said it’ll take a while—possibly years—before we know whether or not bitcoin’s in a bull market. Has enough time gone by to make a judgment? No. Beware of the bull That has nothing to do with ETFs, narratives, lines on a chart, or anything else. A bull market is defined as a sustained period of time when the price goes up. Bitcoin’s price goes up all the time! Altcoins crash 50–90% in the bull markets and go up 100–1,000% in the bear markets. Those are violent swings—and they’re normal! When violence is the norm, it's hard to tell whether you're in a bull or bear market. https://hackernoon.com/why-you-shouldnt-care-about-bitcoins-bull-or-bear-market?embedable=true You have every reason to doubt the pumps of 2023. Bitcoin's price is already up 120% since January. For any other asset, that's a banner year. How much better could it possibly get? Especially in these trying circumstances, when everybody's talking about persistent inflation, rising interest rates, credit crisis, exhausted consumers, housing prices, exploding deficits, and general economic angst. Your favorite YouTuber follows the bull market support band—but Bitcoin’s price goes above and below it all the time. Five times this year already! How much faith can you put in any pump when bitcoin’s price goes back down afterward? This boom ain’t as booming as you think Mark, you’re just salty because you missed the bottom! No. I bought most of 2022. Bitcoin earlier in the year, altcoins later in the year. I also encouraged my newsletter subscribers to do the same. In 2023, my subscribers did this: If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you have a strong allocation to the market with cash to spare. Let’s not assume that the market’s any more of a “bull” now than a year ago. Since the most recent low on September 11, 2023, bitcoin’s price is up 50% in 66 days. That’s less than the 53% rise over 66 days from its generational low of $15,600 on November 21, 2022 until January 25, 2023. Both are less than the 60% jump from March 10 to April 14, 2023 (more boom in less time). Experts called those previous moves “bear market rallies,” echo bubbles and such. Our latest rally hasn’t even beaten those other ones. Also, they all ended with a drop. Why should this time be different? Another bubble within a bubble This market is one constant series of booms and busts over short timeframes and long timeframes. It’s easy to get disoriented. Bull markets look like bear markets, bear markets look like bull markets. It’s the anatomy of a bubble meme on repeat. Most people say that 2018 to 2020 was a bear market. They say the bull market started at the end of 2020. How did that turn out? Take a look: Bitcoin’s price spent more time going up in the bear market than it did in the bull market! Today, its price is higher than it was for most of 2022, the “worst year to buy crypto,” but only recently did you hear chatter on YouTube and Twitter about bull markets and the last chance to “front-run the spot ETF.” At least, that’s today’s story. Tomorrow, who knows what the story will be. Look down before you look up You're looking for confirmation that the bottom is in. The bottom is $0! (Some altcoins will get there.) A drop to $24,000 makes a lot more sense than $0, for the reasons I noted in a number of updates for subscribers to my newsletter, . Crypto is Easy We may never get to that price. Ideally, bitcoin’s price will stay above roughly $32,000. We have some reasons to expect that it will. I covered this most recently in . my November 15, 2023 update https://cryptoiseasy.beehiiv.com/p/market-update-november-15-2023?embedable=true Guess what? It doesn't matter. For now, sellers have run out of coins. They will return as the price goes up. Until then, a run to $57,000 still makes sense, simply on enthusiasm and some structural confluences. We made a similar-sized move in 2019. That one didn’t end well for the bull market champions. Know your role In crypto, we get more crashes in bull markets than in bear markets. Your job? Wait for the crashes, then buy. That way, you don't have to worry about bull, bear, crab, or any other kind of market. You take advantage of entrance liquidity and make sure you have ample cash set aside for when those moments come. https://hackernoon.com/dont-buy-crypto-now-wait-for-entrance-liquidity?embedable=true If you’re interested in a way to beat dollar cost averaging without any extra effort, trading, or timing the market, try . my plan https://cryptoiseasy.beehiiv.com/p/plan-buying-selling-bitcoin?embedable=true At the extremes, you’re up 550% or down 30%. On average, you’re up almost 50% with cash to spare. As bitcoin’s price goes up, you’re going to find it harder to get those results. You’ll get more risk with less reward. It’s ok to wait for prices to come down again! You never know—this might not be a bull market after all. Or maybe, it never mattered in the first place. This post is also available as a collectible NFT on . Mirror https://mirror.xyz/0x9a6600c7B40801dda9A0Fa4E8DE7b1B99FE524a7/IMfXk6dQTu16ybQMuInvdqgTjMBu59rcqNhbSfuVIJ0?embedable=true Mark Helfman publishes the newsletter. He is also the author of three books and a top Bitcoin writer on and . Learn more about him in his and connect with him on or . Crypto is Easy Medium Hacker Noon bio Superpeer Tealfeed

Bitcoin bull market? Not so fast, folks

WE FIND OURSELVES OWN FOLKS AT LAST

A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK.

We have another exciting update for the HackerNoon community! HackerNoon has partnered with Jobbio's Amply network to launch a specialized exclusively curated for the IT community. This strategic partnership marks a significant step forward in connecting talented IT professionals with innovative companies seeking top-tier tech talent. job board By partnering with Jobbio's Amply network, HackerNoon aims to provide a dedicated space where tech talent can find opportunities that truly resonate with their skills. Simply click ‘Jobs’ on the Top Nav Green Bar on , and explore thousands of tech jobs from about every top tech company worldwide! HackerNoon The collaboration merges Amply Network's expertise in seamless job matching with hackernoon.com's influence in the tech industry, creating a platform that caters to the evolving needs of the IT sector. Leveraging the strengths of both entities, this partnership represents a unique experience for the IT community in the form of a platform that showcases job opportunities and fosters a community of knowledge sharing and growth within the IT domain. "We believe that this partnership will revolutionize the way IT professionals seek job opportunities and companies discover exceptional tech talent. Our mission has always been to connect people with meaningful work, and this collaboration with Hackernoon aligns perfectly with that goal," - says Stephen Quinn, CEO of Jobbio. How the Works HackerNoon Job Board The curated jobs board features positions ranging from about every field of IT. Be it software development  and data science to cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Tailored to cater to the IT community, the platform will ensure job seekers can explore roles aligning with their expertise and aspirations. Furthermore, companies posting on the board will benefit from access to a pool of engaged candidates, simplifying the often time-consuming recruitment process. It’s a win-win for everyone! Are you finding a new job in tech? The HackerNoon Jobs board gives you a unique and immersive experience to find your ideal match. 1. You can Filter Jobs by Title and Area You can filter your job search according to your expertise and preferred locality. You can also find thousands of remote work opportunities! 🎉 2. Search Job Openings in Your Favorite Companies Finding your dream job in your ideal firm is now super easy. Search by company and explore hundreds and thousands of job openings there. 3. Looking for the Hottest Tech Jobs in the Market? Check Out the Featured Jobs Section 4. Add Your Company to HackerNoon Job Board Do you want to hire top tech talent? List your company on the by clicking Add Your Job in the top nav. HackerNoon Job Board 5. Receive Top Tech Content and the Hottest Job Openings in our Daily Noonifications Newsletter What’s better than receiving the hottest jobs in the market alongside HackerNoon's top stories daily at noon in your inbox? ☕ Subscribe to the Noonfications Newsletters today! This partnership addresses the current demand for tech talent and signifies a broader shift in how industries collaborate to shape the future. The HackerNoon jobs board sets a new precedent for meaningful partnerships that amplify collective strengths and drive positive change.

HackerNoon & Jobbio's Amply Network Introduce a Job Board Exclusive for Tech Folks 

HackerNoon এবং Jobbio's Amply নেটওয়ার্ক প্রযুক্তির লোকদের জন্য একচেটিয়া একটি চাকরির বোর্ড চালু করেছে

HackerNoon und Jobbios Amply Network stellen eine Jobbörse exklusiv für Technikleute vor

HackerNoon y Amply Network de Jobbio presentan una bolsa de trabajo exclusiva para gente tecnológica

HackerNoon et le réseau Amply de Jobbio présentent un tableau des emplois exclusif pour les gens de la technologie

हैकरनून और जॉबियो के एम्प्ली नेटवर्क ने टेक लोगों के लिए विशेष जॉब बोर्ड पेश किया है

HackerNoon と Jobbio の Amply ネットワークが技術者限定の求人掲示板を導入

HackerNoon과 Jobbio의 Amply Network, 기술 전문가 전용 채용 게시판 소개

HackerNoon e Amply Network de Jobbio apresentam um quadro de empregos exclusivo para o pessoal da tecnologia

HackerNoon ve Jobbio'nun Amply Ağı, Teknoloji Çalışanlarına Özel Bir İş Panosu Sunuyor

HackerNoon & Jobbio's Amply Network giới thiệu bảng công việc dành riêng cho dân công nghệ

HackerNoon 和 Jobbio 的 Amply Network 推出专为科技人士打造的招聘板

Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. Read this book online for free on HackerNoon! : Poor Folk Title : Fyodor Dostoyevsky Author : C. J. Hogarth Translator : August 1, 2000 [eBook #2302] Most recently updated: February 26, 2021 Release date : English Language Table of Links April 8th April 8th April 8th April 9th April 12th April 25th May 20th June 1st June 11th June 12th. June 20th. June 21st. June 22nd. June 25th. June 26th. June 27th. June 28th. July 1st. July 7th. July 8th. July 27th. July 28th. July 28th. July 29th. August 1st. August 2nd. August 3rd. August 4th. August 4th. August 5th. August 5th. August 11th. August 13th. August 14th. August 19th. August 21st. September 3rd. September 5th. September 9th. September 10th. September 11th. September 15th. September 18th. September 19th. September 23rd. September 23rd. September 27th. September 27th. September 28th. September 28th. September 29th. September 30th About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Fyodor Dostoyevsky (2000). Poor Folk. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/2302/pg2302-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html .

Poor Folk by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Table of Links

A Melancholic Encounter in Folkestone

THE REVERSION OF THE BEAST FOLK

The Island of Doctor Moreau, by H. G. Wells, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . XX. ALONE WITH THE BEAST FOLK XX. ALONE WITH THE BEAST FOLK I faced these people, facing my fate in them, single-handed now,—literally single-handed, for I had a broken arm. In my pocket was a revolver with two empty chambers. Among the chips scattered about the beach lay the two axes that had been used to chop up the boats. The tide was creeping in behind me. There was nothing for it but courage. I looked squarely into the faces of the advancing monsters. They avoided my eyes, and their quivering nostrils investigated the bodies that lay beyond me on the beach. I took half-a-dozen steps, picked up the blood-stained whip that lay beneath the body of the Wolf-man, and cracked it. They stopped and stared at me. “Salute!” said I. “Bow down!” They hesitated. One bent his knees. I repeated my command, with my heart in my mouth, and advanced upon them. One knelt, then the other two. I turned and walked towards the dead bodies, keeping my face towards the three kneeling Beast Men, very much as an actor passing up the stage faces the audience. “They broke the Law,” said I, putting my foot on the Sayer of the Law. “They have been slain,—even the Sayer of the Law; even the Other with the Whip. Great is the Law! Come and see.” “None escape,” said one of them, advancing and peering. “None escape,” said I. “Therefore hear and do as I command.” They stood up, looking questioningly at one another. “Stand there,” said I. I picked up the hatchets and swung them by their heads from the sling of my arm; turned Montgomery over; picked up his revolver still loaded in two chambers, and bending down to rummage, found half-a-dozen cartridges in his pocket. “Take him,” said I, standing up again and pointing with the whip; “take him, and carry him out and cast him into the sea.” They came forward, evidently still afraid of Montgomery, but still more afraid of my cracking red whip-lash; and after some fumbling and hesitation, some whip-cracking and shouting, they lifted him gingerly, carried him down to the beach, and went splashing into the dazzling welter of the sea. “On!” said I, “on! Carry him far.” They went in up to their armpits and stood regarding me. “Let go,” said I; and the body of Montgomery vanished with a splash. Something seemed to tighten across my chest. “Good!” said I, with a break in my voice; and they came back, hurrying and fearful, to the margin of the water, leaving long wakes of black in the silver. At the water’s edge they stopped, turning and glaring into the sea as though they presently expected Montgomery to arise therefrom and exact vengeance. “Now these,” said I, pointing to the other bodies. They took care not to approach the place where they had thrown Montgomery into the water, but instead, carried the four dead Beast People slantingly along the beach for perhaps a hundred yards before they waded out and cast them away. As I watched them disposing of the mangled remains of M’ling, I heard a light footfall behind me, and turning quickly saw the big Hyena-swine perhaps a dozen yards away. His head was bent down, his bright eyes were fixed upon me, his stumpy hands clenched and held close by his side. He stopped in this crouching attitude when I turned, his eyes a little averted. For a moment we stood eye to eye. I dropped the whip and snatched at the pistol in my pocket; for I meant to kill this brute, the most formidable of any left now upon the island, at the first excuse. It may seem treacherous, but so I was resolved. I was far more afraid of him than of any other two of the Beast Folk. His continued life was I knew a threat against mine. I was perhaps a dozen seconds collecting myself. Then cried I, “Salute! Bow down!” His teeth flashed upon me in a snarl. “Who are you that I should—” Perhaps a little too spasmodically I drew my revolver, aimed quickly and fired. I heard him yelp, saw him run sideways and turn, knew I had missed, and clicked back the cock with my thumb for the next shot. But he was already running headlong, jumping from side to side, and I dared not risk another miss. Every now and then he looked back at me over his shoulder. He went slanting along the beach, and vanished beneath the driving masses of dense smoke that were still pouring out from the burning enclosure. For some time I stood staring after him. I turned to my three obedient Beast Folk again and signalled them to drop the body they still carried. Then I went back to the place by the fire where the bodies had fallen and kicked the sand until all the brown blood-stains were absorbed and hidden. I dismissed my three serfs with a wave of the hand, and went up the beach into the thickets. I carried my pistol in my hand, my whip thrust with the hatchets in the sling of my arm. I was anxious to be alone, to think out the position in which I was now placed. A dreadful thing that I was only beginning to realise was, that over all this island there was now no safe place where I could be alone and secure to rest or sleep. I had recovered strength amazingly since my landing, but I was still inclined to be nervous and to break down under any great stress. I felt that I ought to cross the island and establish myself with the Beast People, and make myself secure in their confidence. But my heart failed me. I went back to the beach, and turning eastward past the burning enclosure, made for a point where a shallow spit of coral sand ran out towards the reef. Here I could sit down and think, my back to the sea and my face against any surprise. And there I sat, chin on knees, the sun beating down upon my head and unspeakable dread in my mind, plotting how I could live on against the hour of my rescue (if ever rescue came). I tried to review the whole situation as calmly as I could, but it was difficult to clear the thing of emotion. I began turning over in my mind the reason of Montgomery’s despair. “They will change,” he said; “they are sure to change.” And Moreau, what was it that Moreau had said? “The stubborn beast-flesh grows day by day back again.” Then I came round to the Hyena-swine. I felt sure that if I did not kill that brute, he would kill me. The Sayer of the Law was dead: worse luck. They knew now that we of the Whips could be killed even as they themselves were killed. Were they peering at me already out of the green masses of ferns and palms over yonder, watching until I came within their spring? Were they plotting against me? What was the Hyena-swine telling them? My imagination was running away with me into a morass of unsubstantial fears. My thoughts were disturbed by a crying of sea-birds hurrying towards some black object that had been stranded by the waves on the beach near the enclosure. I knew what that object was, but I had not the heart to go back and drive them off. I began walking along the beach in the opposite direction, designing to come round the eastward corner of the island and so approach the ravine of the huts, without traversing the possible ambuscades of the thickets. Perhaps half a mile along the beach I became aware of one of my three Beast Folk advancing out of the landward bushes towards me. I was now so nervous with my own imaginings that I immediately drew my revolver. Even the propitiatory gestures of the creature failed to disarm me. He hesitated as he approached. “Go away!” cried I. There was something very suggestive of a dog in the cringing attitude of the creature. It retreated a little way, very like a dog being sent home, and stopped, looking at me imploringly with canine brown eyes. “Go away,” said I. “Do not come near me.” “May I not come near you?” it said. “No; go away,” I insisted, and snapped my whip. Then putting my whip in my teeth, I stooped for a stone, and with that threat drove the creature away. So in solitude I came round by the ravine of the Beast People, and hiding among the weeds and reeds that separated this crevice from the sea I watched such of them as appeared, trying to judge from their gestures and appearance how the death of Moreau and Montgomery and the destruction of the House of Pain had affected them. I know now the folly of my cowardice. Had I kept my courage up to the level of the dawn, had I not allowed it to ebb away in solitary thought, I might have grasped the vacant sceptre of Moreau and ruled over the Beast People. As it was I lost the opportunity, and sank to the position of a mere leader among my fellows. Towards noon certain of them came and squatted basking in the hot sand. The imperious voices of hunger and thirst prevailed over my dread. I came out of the bushes, and, revolver in hand, walked down towards these seated figures. One, a Wolf-woman, turned her head and stared at me, and then the others. None attempted to rise or salute me. I felt too faint and weary to insist, and I let the moment pass. “I want food,” said I, almost apologetically, and drawing near. “There is food in the huts,” said an Ox-boar-man, drowsily, and looking away from me. I passed them, and went down into the shadow and odours of the almost deserted ravine. In an empty hut I feasted on some specked and half-decayed fruit; and then after I had propped some branches and sticks about the opening, and placed myself with my face towards it and my hand upon my revolver, the exhaustion of the last thirty hours claimed its own, and I fell into a light slumber, hoping that the flimsy barricade I had erected would cause sufficient noise in its removal to save me from surprise. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. H. G. Wells (1994). The Island of Doctor Moreau. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022, from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/159/159-h/159-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

The Island of Doctor Moreau: XX. ALONE WITH THE BEAST FOLK

The Island of Doctor Moreau: XVI. HOW THE BEAST FOLK TASTE BLOOD

The Island of Doctor Moreau, by H. G. Wells, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . XV. CONCERNING THE BEAST FOLK XV. CONCERNING THE BEAST FOLK I woke early. Moreau’s explanation stood before my mind, clear and definite, from the moment of my awakening. I got out of the hammock and went to the door to assure myself that the key was turned. Then I tried the window-bar, and found it firmly fixed. That these man-like creatures were in truth only bestial monsters, mere grotesque travesties of men, filled me with a vague uncertainty of their possibilities which was far worse than any definite fear. A tapping came at the door, and I heard the glutinous accents of M’ling speaking. I pocketed one of the revolvers (keeping one hand upon it), and opened to him. “Good-morning, sair,” he said, bringing in, in addition to the customary herb-breakfast, an ill-cooked rabbit. Montgomery followed him. His roving eye caught the position of my arm and he smiled askew. The puma was resting to heal that day; but Moreau, who was singularly solitary in his habits, did not join us. I talked with Montgomery to clear my ideas of the way in which the Beast Folk lived. In particular, I was urgent to know how these inhuman monsters were kept from falling upon Moreau and Montgomery and from rending one another. He explained to me that the comparative safety of Moreau and himself was due to the limited mental scope of these monsters. In spite of their increased intelligence and the tendency of their animal instincts to reawaken, they had certain fixed ideas implanted by Moreau in their minds, which absolutely bounded their imaginations. They were really hypnotised; had been told that certain things were impossible, and that certain things were not to be done, and these prohibitions were woven into the texture of their minds beyond any possibility of disobedience or dispute. Certain matters, however, in which old instinct was at war with Moreau’s convenience, were in a less stable condition. A series of propositions called the Law (I had already heard them recited) battled in their minds with the deep-seated, ever-rebellious cravings of their animal natures. This Law they were ever repeating, I found, and ever breaking. Both Montgomery and Moreau displayed particular solicitude to keep them ignorant of the taste of blood; they feared the inevitable suggestions of that flavour. Montgomery told me that the Law, especially among the feline Beast People, became oddly weakened about nightfall; that then the animal was at its strongest; that a spirit of adventure sprang up in them at the dusk, when they would dare things they never seemed to dream about by day. To that I owed my stalking by the Leopard-man, on the night of my arrival. But during these earlier days of my stay they broke the Law only furtively and after dark; in the daylight there was a general atmosphere of respect for its multifarious prohibitions. And here perhaps I may give a few general facts about the island and the Beast People. The island, which was of irregular outline and lay low upon the wide sea, had a total area, I suppose, of seven or eight square miles. It was volcanic in origin, and was now fringed on three sides by coral reefs; some fumaroles to the northward, and a hot spring, were the only vestiges of the forces that had long since originated it. Now and then a faint quiver of earthquake would be sensible, and sometimes the ascent of the spire of smoke would be rendered tumultuous by gusts of steam; but that was all. The population of the island, Montgomery informed me, now numbered rather more than sixty of these strange creations of Moreau’s art, not counting the smaller monstrosities which lived in the undergrowth and were without human form. Altogether he had made nearly a hundred and twenty; but many had died, and others—like the writhing Footless Thing of which he had told me—had come by violent ends. In answer to my question, Montgomery said that they actually bore offspring, but that these generally died. When they lived, Moreau took them and stamped the human form upon them. There was no evidence of the inheritance of their acquired human characteristics. The females were less numerous than the males, and liable to much furtive persecution in spite of the monogamy the Law enjoined. [2] This description corresponds in every respect to Noble’s Isle.—C. E. P. [2] It would be impossible for me to describe these Beast People in detail; my eye has had no training in details, and unhappily I cannot sketch. Most striking, perhaps, in their general appearance was the disproportion between the legs of these creatures and the length of their bodies; and yet—so relative is our idea of grace—my eye became habituated to their forms, and at last I even fell in with their persuasion that my own long thighs were ungainly. Another point was the forward carriage of the head and the clumsy and inhuman curvature of the spine. Even the Ape-man lacked that inward sinuous curve of the back which makes the human figure so graceful. Most had their shoulders hunched clumsily, and their short forearms hung weakly at their sides. Few of them were conspicuously hairy, at least until the end of my time upon the island. The next most obvious deformity was in their faces, almost all of which were prognathous, malformed about the ears, with large and protuberant noses, very furry or very bristly hair, and often strangely-coloured or strangely-placed eyes. None could laugh, though the Ape-man had a chattering titter. Beyond these general characters their heads had little in common; each preserved the quality of its particular species: the human mark distorted but did not hide the leopard, the ox, or the sow, or other animal or animals, from which the creature had been moulded. The voices, too, varied exceedingly. The hands were always malformed; and though some surprised me by their unexpected human appearance, almost all were deficient in the number of the digits, clumsy about the finger-nails, and lacking any tactile sensibility. The two most formidable Animal Men were my Leopard-man and a creature made of hyena and swine. Larger than these were the three bull-creatures who pulled in the boat. Then came the silvery-hairy-man, who was also the Sayer of the Law, M’ling, and a satyr-like creature of ape and goat. There were three Swine-men and a Swine-woman, a mare-rhinoceros-creature, and several other females whose sources I did not ascertain. There were several wolf-creatures, a bear-bull, and a Saint-Bernard-man. I have already described the Ape-man, and there was a particularly hateful (and evil-smelling) old woman made of vixen and bear, whom I hated from the beginning. She was said to be a passionate votary of the Law. Smaller creatures were certain dappled youths and my little sloth-creature. But enough of this catalogue. At first I had a shivering horror of the brutes, felt all too keenly that they were still brutes; but insensibly I became a little habituated to the idea of them, and moreover I was affected by Montgomery’s attitude towards them. He had been with them so long that he had come to regard them as almost normal human beings. His London days seemed a glorious, impossible past to him. Only once in a year or so did he go to Arica to deal with Moreau’s agent, a trader in animals there. He hardly met the finest type of mankind in that seafaring village of Spanish mongrels. The men aboard-ship, he told me, seemed at first just as strange to him as the Beast Men seemed to me,—unnaturally long in the leg, flat in the face, prominent in the forehead, suspicious, dangerous, and cold-hearted. In fact, he did not like men: his heart had warmed to me, he thought, because he had saved my life. I fancied even then that he had a sneaking kindness for some of these metamorphosed brutes, a vicious sympathy with some of their ways, but that he attempted to veil it from me at first. M’ling, the black-faced man, Montgomery’s attendant, the first of the Beast Folk I had encountered, did not live with the others across the island, but in a small kennel at the back of the enclosure. The creature was scarcely so intelligent as the Ape-man, but far more docile, and the most human-looking of all the Beast Folk; and Montgomery had trained it to prepare food, and indeed to discharge all the trivial domestic offices that were required. It was a complex trophy of Moreau’s horrible skill,—a bear, tainted with dog and ox, and one of the most elaborately made of all his creatures. It treated Montgomery with a strange tenderness and devotion. Sometimes he would notice it, pat it, call it half-mocking, half-jocular names, and so make it caper with extraordinary delight; sometimes he would ill-treat it, especially after he had been at the whiskey, kicking it, beating it, pelting it with stones or lighted fusees. But whether he treated it well or ill, it loved nothing so much as to be near him. I say I became habituated to the Beast People, that a thousand things which had seemed unnatural and repulsive speedily became natural and ordinary to me. I suppose everything in existence takes its colour from the average hue of our surroundings. Montgomery and Moreau were too peculiar and individual to keep my general impressions of humanity well defined. I would see one of the clumsy bovine-creatures who worked the launch treading heavily through the undergrowth, and find myself asking, trying hard to recall, how he differed from some really human yokel trudging home from his mechanical labours; or I would meet the Fox-bear woman’s vulpine, shifty face, strangely human in its speculative cunning, and even imagine I had met it before in some city byway. Yet every now and then the beast would flash out upon me beyond doubt or denial. An ugly-looking man, a hunch-backed human savage to all appearance, squatting in the aperture of one of the dens, would stretch his arms and yawn, showing with startling suddenness scissor-edged incisors and sabre-like canines, keen and brilliant as knives. Or in some narrow pathway, glancing with a transitory daring into the eyes of some lithe, white-swathed female figure, I would suddenly see (with a spasmodic revulsion) that she had slit-like pupils, or glancing down note the curving nail with which she held her shapeless wrap about her. It is a curious thing, by the bye, for which I am quite unable to account, that these weird creatures—the females, I mean—had in the earlier days of my stay an instinctive sense of their own repulsive clumsiness, and displayed in consequence a more than human regard for the decency and decorum of extensive costume. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. H. G. Wells (1994). The Island of Doctor Moreau. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022, from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/159/159-h/159-h.htm This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

The Island of Doctor Moreau: XV. CONCERNING THE BEAST FOLK

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